Snow Flurries, Ochoco Ranch

Snow Flurries, Ochoco Ranch, 20x16 oil

I wanted to describe the sensations of warm and cool - when snow flurries descend from lowering clouds against a landscape that is still reflecting sunlight. I painted the first layers and then scraped them almost completely back to achieve interesting textural effects. As the painting progressed so did the the background hills, increasing in both number and height, creating a far more dramatic scene than I had first intended. In fact the inspiration for the final dramatic slant came when I was studying the painting and realized that a cast shadow across the surface from a nearby chair was the perfect addition - go with what you are given - even if the information comes from a chair :)